Ashley Jensen’s British Crime Masterpiece ‘Shetland’ Season 10 Gets New Look [Exclusive]

Collider’s Exclusive Preview event keeps on delivering, with fans of British detective shows in for a huge treat. Based on the novels by Ann Cleeves, the beloved BBC crime series Shetland is currently one episode through its milestone tenth season across the pond, with five gripping installments still to come. For U.S. fans, the tenth season is still some time away, although what was once months is now weeks, before the season officially premieres on BritBox on January 1, 2026.

Ahead of the Season 10 arrival in the U.S., Collider has teamed up with BritBox to debut the exclusive image below of the tenth season’s premiere episode, which showcases DI Ruth Calder (Ashley Jensen) lit by candlelight as she presumably pieces together another twisting puzzle. Following a divisive ninth season, a cast shake-up for the tenth outing has been promised, with several fresh faces joining fan-favorites in the upcoming episodes. Joining Jensen are the likes of Alison O’Donnell as her partner against crime, Alison “Tosh” McIntosh, Steven Robertson as Sandy Wilson, Lewis Howden as Billy McCabe, Anne Kidd as Cora McLean, Angus Miller as Donnie, Conor McCarry as Alex Grant, Eubha Akilade as Lorna Burns, and newcomer Samuel Anderson as public prosecutor Matt Blake. A synopsis for Season 10 reads:

“In the isolated hamlet of Lunniswick, the body of the retired social worker Eadie Tulloch has been out in the elements for a number of days. Suspecting the residents are holding back about their relationships with Eadie, Calder and Tosh begin to unravel a complicated web of lies. Worse still, there’s a personal link to the case for one of the team, testing loyalty to the limits.”

What Is the Key to ‘Shetland’s Longevity?

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Crime series are a dime a dozen in the UK, but often they fail to last more than a couple of seasons. So what has made Shetland so durable? “Cleverly, what the makers have done is keep the essence of what the show is,” star Jensen previously said in an interview ahead of Season 10. “People love the environment, they love that expansive landscape — it’s so alien but also recognisable. It’s clearly Scottish.” The genre of the series is also key to its longevity, according to Jensen, who adds, “People also like crime drama because they love to be taken on this journey and if they get it right they say ‘yes!’”

Shetland Season 10 premieres on January 1, 2026. Make sure to stay tuned to Collider for all the updates from our Exclusive Winter Preview Event.

Release Date: March 10, 2013
Network: BBC One, BBC Four
Directors: Max Myers, Thaddeus O’Sullivan, Lee Haven Jones, Jan Matthys, Andy Newbery, Siri Rødnes, David Moore, John McKay, Peter Hoar, Stewart Svaasand
Writers: David Kane, Gaby Chiappe, Robert Murphy